Until the day I die
by Luciferus
Summary: REPOST! now that I've got the hang of the chapters options. Typical day for the Turks : explosions, problems and Reno's mouth... Rated for slight R&R shonen ai and Reno's language!
1. Chapter 1

Not a new story, just one I've reupped because I now know HOW to use the chapter guide!!! insert shamless dancing of sorts So here it is again, with a few modifications and the like... Ja na!

* * *

The elevator creaked as it slowly went up the five floors towards the top of the large building. Why the hell did elevators all have to make such a fucking noise, thought Reno irritably as he slouched against the wall. I mean, come on! The perfect announcement! Your elevator warns you about guests...may as well add : Here come the feared Turks, henchmen of the mighty Rufus ShinRa, and they're here to get the one thing your money won't ever be able to buy you back : your life.

The redhed almost laughed as his own stupid thoughts, but caught himself in time. Tseng wasn't one to shrug off his attempt at lightness at this point. There was one anal-retentive bitch and he did respect him! Reno had never seen the raven-haired Turk laugh in the four years he'd been training with him...Hell! Even his eyes didn't smile... Even Rude could crack a smile, given enough beer... He felt a slight nudge at his elbow and saw Elena wink at him. She had seen the almost-laugh and her eyes were twinkling; at least she wasn't as stick-in-the-ass as Tseng! Sometimes Reno thought that their leader was too serious about his job...how did he manage to cope with being a Turk without unwinding from time to time? Well, he had grown close to Elena in the last few months, and Reno could easily guess that it went beyond a "normal" work relationship.

Wow...Tseng had actually managed to show what was behind his mask. And wow...Elena had guessed that there was something behind that mask... But then again Elena, although a Turk and a damn good one at that, was also a woman, and women picked up on little details that men couldn't guess at.

Well...almost all of them..., grinned Reno to himself.

- You're smiling again...,whispered Elena.

- I'm always smiling...haven't noticed it yet? answered Reno, winking back.

- Quiet. Approching target, came Tseng's calm voice.

Reno grinned again, inwardly this time. Coming from anyone else, it could've been seen as a direct threat : stop flirting with my girl. But coming from Tseng, it was just a reminder of why they were there. Hell...the man was fucking emotionless!

But then again, it didn't pay to be emotional when you were the paied assassins of the ShinRa Company... Reno guessed that it was part and parcel of the job; you learnt to use fists, guns, the electro-mag rod that he particularly loved, and you kept your emotions hidden away. You couldn't be part of the Turks and cry for every person you killed or intimidated. If you did, you could as well go and sell flowers.

The elevator finally slowed, and the four Turks stiffened slightly. It was rare to see all four of them on the same job; usually Tseng and Elena would go and take care of gathering information, and would leave Reno and Rude to take care of the more muscular tasks. But in this particular case, Rufus had suggested that they go as a team. And when Rufus suggested something, they followed. After all, he was supposed to know.

Reno glanced briefly at his teammates; Elena and Tseng had their guns cocked and ready, and Rude was ajusting his trusty leather gloves, glancing over at Reno over his sunglasss. The redhead winked back and pressed the button on his electro-mag rod, releasing blue electricity.

The door opened, followed by a shower of bullets.

ooOOoo

Pressed to the side of the elevator, the four Turks waited calmly for the onslaught to finish. It wasn't the first time they'd been greeted like this, and all they had to do was wait until the enemy chargers were empty. It was just too easy.

- Looks like we were expected! shouted Reno over the noise of gunfire.

- What did you think? replied Rude, lifting an eyebrow.

Reno's laughter answered better than most words and echoed through the silence that suddenly fell. The chargers were empty.

In one swift movement, Tseng and Elena stepped out of the elevator and started to gun down the closest opponents, covering the other two as they flew into battle. Elena could see rapid shapes out of the corner of her eye, could see Rude hammering those fists into faces and chests, could see Reno laugh wildly as he jumped around and wielded his rod with all the grace of a dancer.

Elena had always admired the drive that they had when carrying out a mission. She knew it was why Tseng always took her with him. She knew that all Turk she was, she lacked the same drive to kill as her collegues. She was there to stop any escape, to intimidate with her presence and her title of Turk. She was there as back-up and as security, but as she calmly pumped bullets into the people in front of her, she had no qualms. It was her or them, and that left no room for questionning. This was a mission, and she was a Turk.

- First level secured. Elena and I will search the left wing for the target. Reno, Rude, search the right wing for any information that will prove his theft. Move out! called Tseng to the others.

- Righty-o, boss..., came Reno's voice from somewere nearby.

- We'll rendez-vous back at ShinRa.  
- Righty-o boss.

And the four Turks separated, leaving a trail of bloodied bodies behind them.

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TBC...but you know that, right? 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2, revamped and ready!

Oh, and because I forgot to say at the beginning : I don't own anything or anyone except my own fic... Squaresoft (or whatever it's called now) owns it... Hell, probably owns my soul!

So enjoy!

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Reno and Rude walked down one of the longest and darkest corridors they had ever seen, peering into the numerous rooms along the way. So far, they hadn't found anything interesting, but as they tried the next door, they found it locked. That, in their book at any rate, meant that there was something behind it worth locking...

- All yours buddy..., grinned Reno.

Rude didn't answer but just hefted his foot into the wooden door. Then, both Turks entered the dark room.

- Wow man! Ya' see this place? This makes your room look messy!

Rude didn't bother answering as he sifted through impeccably-classified files and drawers. He could feel Reno pacing around in his back, and let flash a grin across his face before turning to study the next drawer. Reno had never been good with patience.

- Found anything yet? called Reno from the window, where he was checking for unnanounced back-up.

- The files make no mention of the stolen disk.

- Surprisingly enough, that don't surprise me... 'Specially since Mr Bradford said the disk wasn't stolen, but "lost".

- It's a shame for him that Tseng does all these surprise checks then..., continued Rude, opening yet another file.

Reno grinned and sat down on the floor next to Rude and lit a cigarette while reaching out for another drawer. The faster they found the information, the faster they could leave and maybe regroup with Tseng and Elena before watching Bradford snuff it.

The guy had defied ShinRa. He knew he had it coming to him.

ooOOoo

With a call, Rude brandished a sheet of paper in front of Reno's nose. The redhead read the first few lines and grinned.

- The dumbass used the same access code as ShinRa...ya' got to be kidding me!

- Do I usually joke about things?

- You don't have a joke in ya' Rude man!...do I take the computer apart then?

- All yours buddy.

With a laugh Reno sauntered over to the computer, switched it on, flicked his cigarette into the bin and started clicking.

ooOOoo

Two shades walked down a corridor and stopped

- Tseng-san? Is there something wrong?

- Nothing at all, just keep your eyes open Elena.

- I hope Reno and Rude find the information we need...this place almost scares me...

- Don't worry about them. Ah, Mr Bradford,, we've been waiting to see you.

Elena turned around at Tseng's words and saw a middle-aged man standing in the corridor behind them. She hadn't even heard him arrive but didn't let her surprise show; she had learnt that much.

- Mr Bradford, I believe you have taken something from the ShinRa Company, and we are here to retrieve it.

- Which would also mean my untimely death, as ever with employees of Rufus ShinRa, aren't I right? responded Bradford, reajusting his tie.

- I'm afraid that is the cost of betraying the ShinRa Company, Mr Bradford. Now, would you be so kind as to return the disk in your possession? said Tseng, in his calm voice.

Elena watched the scene with a hawk's eye. She had no intention of letting Bradford try and pull out of this, and she hoped that her gun pointed directly at his head would dissuade him from trying anything.

- I have no idea what you're talking about, continued Bradford, staring at the raven-haired Turk.

- Mr Bradford, don't insult the intelligence of the ShinRa Company.

- Why not? You storm into my office building, kill my guards and now accuse me of theft. Who is insulting who?

- A bold statement, Mr Bradford. However, our orders are to retrieve the disk and to dispose of you, replied Tseng.

- And what makes you bellieve I have this disk?

- The reception we received was proof enough of your guilt..., came Elena's voice, her gun still aimed at Bradford's head.

- Oh so it does talk? I was beginning to wonder.

Tseng risked a sidelong glance at his partner, but Elena hadn't reacted to the insult. The Turk leader silently praised the poise that she possesed. Indeed Elena wasn't a natural killer, unlike the others, but she possessed calm and strength in large enough quantities to make up for any other failings. And Tseng was glad to have her by his side, as ever.

- Mr Bradford, I am afraid you lack choices at this point. Must I ask again?

- Indeed no, the disk and all the proof you need are safely locked away in a small box in the right wing.

_Then Reno and Rude will have found them by now_...thought Elena with relief. And then she noticed the remote in Bradford's hand.

ooOOoo

Inside the small room, Reno and Rude were still leafing through various documents and had found more than enough proof to connect Bradford to the theft. It was insane, it was almost as if he had never suspected that ShinRa would come looking... Reno had taken the computer apart and had gathered bank statements, transfers, transactions...all bearing Rufus ShinRa's access code. Even Rude had snorted at that, and for Rude to actually show any emotion, it just showed how dumb Bradford had been.

- Found the cherry on the cake or can we go home? yawned the redhead, sprawled out in the computer chair, his green eyes half-closed against the early evening sunlight.

- These documents are more than enough for Rufus-san to justify his actions, replied Rude.

- As if he needed to justify 'em... It's always the same old story : Rufus gets suspiscious, sends us out, we kill the guy and Rufus sleeps tight...oh, and we get paied a little more.

Rude listened with half and ear to his partner's rant; he had heard it so many times before, but Reno's cynical outlook didn't get on his nerves. True, he sometimes wanted to take Reno by his ponytail and shake him until his nose bled and his teeth fell out, but that had nothing to do with his cyniscm...

Rude had to admit to himself (even if he would rather die than say it to anyone else...) that it was pleasant to have Reno at his side. It took his mind off things to have this bundle of nerves jumping up and down next to him, always talking and laughing, made him forget his usual depressing thoughts. Tseng didn't understand, and Elena just thought that it was the weirdest thing she had ever seen. She had shared quarters with Reno for a week while they were finishing training, and she had ended that week with therapy...the last in a long list of unfortunate roommates.

And then, the world fell down about them.

ooOOoo

Elena raced to the window in time to see a burst of flame from the other side of the office building, as Bradford burst out laughing wildly.

- Now try and connect me to the theft! You have no proof left, no proof at all!! None at...

His rising voice was cut short by a single bullet, and Tseng rejoined Elena next to the window.

- Tseng-san...? came Elena's voice as she nervously gripped his hand.

Tseng pressed back; he didn't need to see her face to know that she was fighting back tears. Her training had made her accept things like death and violence with ease, but facing the almost-certainty that it was your partners...your friends...that were never coming back.

- Tseng...? What...what do we do? asked Elena, searching for her partner's face.

- First we report back to Rufus, tell him that the mission was sucessful.

- Succesful? What do you mean by "succesful"? They could be dead, and you want to report this as successful?

- Elena, listen to me.  
The blonde Turk wiped away the tears that had began to shine in her eyes, and faced the exploded window again.

- Elena, there is nothing we can do by ourselves. There is only one thing we can do, and that is return to ShinRa and report to Rufus-san. He'll send for an rescue team and we'll find them.

- They might be too late...Tseng.

- Don't worry, they'll make it Elena... Trust me.

But as Tseng looked at the sheer might of the explosion, he hoped Elena wouldn't trust him blindly.

* * *

Next chapter coming up! 


	3. Chapter 3

'Tis up, hurrah!!! XD

* * *

The smoke was just starting to clear up but why couldn't he hear anything? Oh yeah, the blast...Fuck! How long had he been out? Reno tried to scramble out of the debris but was stopped by the searing pain in his side. He clumsily fell back to his knees and groaned; that definately felt like a few broken ribs...

Great, just great! And where the fuck was Rude? They had opened the last drawer and had seen the bomb, and Rude had tried to throw it out of the window, but not fast enough. And now where was he? And would his fucking ears stop fucking ringing! It was supposed to be a good sign; at least that's what he had learnt at training all those years back...if your ears started hurting then you hadn't lost your hearing.

- Rude? Rude! Where are ya', man?

His voice sounded weak and cracked, although thanks to the deafness or to the dust he couldn't tell. Moving slowly so as to not damage his ribs any more than they already were, Reno started to inch forwards. he was looking around him as he went, and could see the giant gaping hole in what was left of the ceiling and the debris lying around.

Wow, he'd fallen through that and hadn't finished on something sharp? Another bonus point for Reno Tarshil : surviving near-fatal falls by sheer luck.

But that still didn't answer his question : where was Rude? What if he hadn't fallen through and was still up there? How the hell was he supposed to get to him then?

- Rude! Oi, Rudolph! Stop fuckin' around with me, yo!

His hearing was getting better and his voice sounded less croaky, but his ribs weren't the only things that were broken. Great, and the right hand too, of course! If he couldn't hold his rod after this, he was going to kill Rufus. Slowly.

- Rude! Y' round here? he called out again, starting to feel nervous. Where the hell was he? What if...

And then he heard a scrabbling sound just in front of him, and he walked faster, ignoring the way his side flared up. Near what had been a desk, Rude was disentangling himself from a pile of electic wires, wincing at the way they flared. And from what Reno could see in the flickering light, he was half trapped under something.

- Rude! Been worried 'bout ya'! You ok?

- I'm fine, buddy.

Reno walked over to his side, ignoring the way his ribs screamed at him, but his leg suddenly gave out and he finished his leap hudded on the floor.

- Reno! called out Rude, worried at the way his partner was quaking.

Reno steadied himself, and waved the left hand over his shoulder, trying to forget the dancing red lights in front of his eyes.

- Fine my man...just a little unsteady on my feet.

And it doesn't help when you've got broken ribs either..., came Rude's low voice, with a hint of a grin. You're loosing your touch Reno.

- Oh? And you're perfectly fine are you? That tomato sauce on your head right?

Reno stood up, his leg still burning, and lurched over to where the bald Turk was lying. Rude had tried to free himself but his legs were caught under a slab of concrete and his face was unusually pale. He'd lost his shades at some point, and Reno could see those dark eyes that few people had ever seen. At least, seen and lived.

- Hey man...you holdin' up ok?

- What exactly is your definition of "ok"? I can still feel my legs and I can still move everything.

- Well, that's good then.

- The only problem is getting this off me. If my legs stay deprived of blood long enough, they'll become useless.

Reno squatted down next to Rude, and winked at him.

- There's only one thing I'd be annoyed at if it b'came useless, my man...

To his surprise (and secret delight) Rude suddenly blushed. Then he smiled, and looked directly at his redhead friend.

- That part of my body isn't under the concrete.  
Reno burst out laughing at that and doubled over, his laugh transformed into rauque wimpers of pain as his ribs reminded him that they were still broken.

ooOOoo

Night was falling as Tseng and Elena reached the ShinRa Company, and as they passed the other employees, their grim faces and Elena's red eyes suggested something unexpected had happened. And wild guesses soon flew through the building as to why the Turks would come back like that.

One foolish member of security even tried to ask Tseng what the matter was, and received such a cold stare that he nearly ran away. A Turk in a bad mood was to be avoided. Tseng in a bad mood was a walking death-wish.

They finally reached the elevator and closed the doors, away for a minute from the bustling and busy world. In silence they waited, each in their own thoughts, as they went up towards the floor they shared with the ShinRa family. Indeed, Rufus had decided that it would be easier for his bodyguards to protect him if they were near him, and had housed them on the top floor along with himself.

_And who's there to protect us ?_ thought Elena miserably. She hated this feeling, this idea of being totally powerless and having to wait. She was so used to being in control of things that this situation was tearing her apart. As they had driven back to the centre of Midgard, Tseng had tried to reassure her that Reno and Rude were doing fine, and that as soon as the rescue teams were put up, they would be out of there in no time, but Elena knew he was lying.

Tseng couldn't lie, and she knew it. He was worried, there was no doubt to be had. He had trained Reno, along with a great deal of other aspiring Turks, but Reno had stood out, even for Tseng. His cynical sense of humour, his sloppy outside that hid a rapid and dangerous inside, and his rebellious mind had pleased Tseng. Even Heidegger had said something pleasent about him...

As for Rude, he had been Tseng's partner once, and had stayed a good friend after. Trusty, sturdy, he was the kind of person you could immediatly depend and rely on. Before they had grown as close as they were now, Tseng had told Elena that the person he trusted the most was Rude.

The elevator doors opened, and they were greeted at once by Rufus, looking more serious than ever. With a motion of his hand he invited the two Turks into his office and closed the door.

- I won't ask if your mission was a success. Judging from what I hear from below, I should rather ask you if it's true.

- All depends what you've heard, sir.., replied Elena, avoiding her boss's eye.

- We request a rescue team in order to be able to give you a full report, Rufus-san.

- So you're so sure that they're still alive.

- With respect Rufus-san, I believe that they would prefer to die rather than be killed in such a stupid way.

Elena stared at her partner, a surprised smile, and Rufus just observed them both before standing up.

- I agree with you. The rescue team will leave first thing tomorrow morning.

- But sir...! started Elena

- Elena, I know you wish to help in the rescue operations... You would do better if you both had some sleep. Report at the main gates at 06:00 tomorrow morning. I don't doubt that Reno and Rude will be able to wait a few hours...

ooOOoo

- No use man, I can't get this fuckin' thing off ya.

- I told you to stop running around, you're tiring me out.

- Sleep then! nearly snapped Reno, before walking away into the dark.

Rude sighed and put Reno's jacket more comfortably under his head. It was no use trying to get him to stop when he was in this state of mind; Reno was the type of person who'd try and do something well until he fell flat on his face from exhaustion. At first, when Rude was still getting used to having another partner, he had been sure that Reno's obsession with perfection betrayed an underlying fear of not doing right. It was only after a few months that he realised that it was only an obsession when it involved something Reno really cared about.

- Don't move man, I'm goin' to try something..., came the redhead's voice from the darkness.

- Not really going to go anywhere, am I? And can you actually see what you're doing? Night's falling.

- I'm fine dude, the streetlights are more n' enough for me...fuck it!

Rude sighed silently; that was Reno forgetting that his ribs were broken, that his hand was in pieces, or that his leg was inches away from breaking as well. But what did he expect, falling straight onto a piece of what had been a ceiling? All he remembered from the fall was seeing the bomb, hearing Reno shout, attempting to throw it out the window, and then nothing until he found himself trapped under some more ceiling. And with the remains of a neon on his face...no wonder he was bleeding...

He knew that at least one of his legs was broken and that he'd hurt something badly in his chest, but that didn't worry him as much as Reno did.

The shadows moved, and Reno came back into sight, trying to walk straight and Rude tried to ignore the blanched look on his face.

- Bad news buddy, it's snowing... If we don't find a way to get ya' out from under there you're goin' to feel cold...yo! You okay?

- You're bleeding, replied Rude, staring up at his friend's face.

- Does tend to happen when you fall down two floors after a bomb blows up in ya' face, man.

- No, I mean you're bleeding _there_.

Reno stared at Rude as if he'd gone mad, then his hand automatically went up and touched the scar high on his right cheek, then his left one. Sure enough, he was bleeding; he must've caught himself somewhere and reopened the skin. He shrugged and sat down next to Rude, shivering as he realised that the air was seriously cooling down.

Oh, he was going to kill Rufus when they got back... Slowly.

- S'pose we got nothin' to do 'cept wait for the rescue team...we'll die of hunger before they get here, seen how fast they go.

- Unless we die of hypothermia first. You should take your jacket back.

- Nah, I'm fine. No matter how cold it'll get, can't be worse than when the heating goes down back at ShinRa!

- The heating doesn't go down...it's just your imagination.

- What d'ya mean my imagination?

- You should drink less, it's playing with your brain..., grinned Rude.

- As if I was the biggest drinker around! I'm sure Tseng drinks more than I do now!

- Elena's a good person, and if Tseng's found happiness with her, then that's a good thing.

- Not sayin' anything 'gainst that! Hell, Tseng deserves a break as much as any of us.

They stayed in silence for a while, listening to the silence around them as they looked out from the exploded window at the snow falling.

* * *

Stay tuned!! XD

iii


	4. Chapter 4

Hope you like this next installment!

* * *

Elena stood up, put her dressing-gown on and made her way to the large living-room just opposite her room, blinking as she switched the light on. Rufus had ordered that the Turks have their own private lounge where they could rest away from the other employees of the Shin-Ra Company, and right now, Elena thanked him more than ever. She couldn't sleep, and had decided that it was better to stay awake in front of the television with a beer, instead of staying all alone in her room looking at the walls.

Opening the fridge, Elena reached in and grabbed the two first beer cans, walked away, before deciding to walk back to the fridge and empty it of the last piece of tart. She had brought it to work just the day before, and had had to stop Reno from wolfing it down all by himself.

- Well, now there's only you and me, you piece of pie! she said aloud to the darkness, before sitting down on the sofa.

She suddenly stood up again with a small cry of surprise, and noticed that she had just sat on one of Rude's shades. He might be one of the tidiest of them, but that didn't stop him from leaving those sunglasses everywhere. And didn't stop Reno from breaking them with uncanny accuracy, no matter where they were...

Elena picked them up carefully and put then on the table, among the empty beer cans and the sock that Reno swore wasn't his, before switching on the television.

The blank screen glared at her for a moment before the reruns came on; Elena opened the beer and sat back down, looking at images of Rufus explaining the reason for the explosion at the main headquarters of the Bradford society and that as soon as possible, ShinRa would send out a reserch party to determine the exact cause of the accident.

- I hope you're holding up alright guys..., sighed Elena

- I'm sure they're fine.

Elena jumped and saw Tseng in the doorway, his usually perfect hair slightly rumpled, a hastily-downed dressing-gown on him and a tired look on his face. Opening up the other beer, Elena motionned to the sofa, and both Turks sat in silence, watching the depressingly happy adverts.

It just felt so..wrong, them being here, and the others being...somewhere else... Tseng felt the sofa quiver, and turned to see Elena crying into her beer, suppressing small sobs. Why couldn't he cry as well, he thought as he cradled Elena close to him. Was he really as insensitive as Reno thought he was? Or was it just that he had more hope than Elena did?

- It's going to be fine, Elena...just wait and see...it's not the first time that they've been in trouble, is it?

- But I...I've got this horrible premonition, Tseng... What if...what if this time, we can't get them out of it?

- Do you have so little faith in them, Elena?

The blonde Turk stared up at Tseng, before a small smile trembled on her lips.

- I'm sorry...I'm sorry...

- Elena, Rude's the toughest person I know of, and Reno's luckier than anyone I've ever seen. So don't worry, ok? Don't worry...

Tseng continued to whisper words of hope in Elena's ear, until he realised that she was breathing heavily, sound asleep. Smiling just a little, he switched the television off, cutting short a programme on chocobo diseases, and pulled the heavy sofa cover onto both of them. Morning would come quickly...

ooOOoo

A loud crash resonated through the blast site, and Rude opened his eyes with a start, trembling slightly as the cold hit him. He'd obviously fallen asleep while watching the snow, and his legs started screaming at him. Maybe both were broken after all...

Oh well, at least the concrete slab was stopping the bones from moving too much; he should perhaps tell Reno that moving the slab was a bad idea after all... Reno! Where the hell was he?

Rude craned his neck around but night had definately settled in and he couldn't see a thing, even with the electric wires flashing on and off and the feeble glow from the streetlamps.

- Reno! Where are you?

There was no answer, and Rude cursed all he could, still straining to see something in the darkness around him. Where had Reno gone off to now? He hadn't tried to climb out of the window to get help, had he? The thought struck Rude with all the force of a well-placed punch; Reno was quite capable of doing such a stupid thing, and had done several stunts like that in the past.

Rude knew that broken limbs meant nothing to his partner when he felt that something had to be done and he was almost suicidal at some times... But this time, Rude knew that if Reno had done something like that, he might not live through it... What had Reno said one day?

_A pro doesn't sacrifice his life for his mission; that's an idiot._

But this wasn't a mission...not any more. When would he learn to take care of himself instead of worrying about others all the time?  
Grunting, Rude tried to ease himself from under the slab but to no avail.The slab of concrete held him prisonner. For Shiva's sake! He could break down solid wooden doors so why couldn't he get off the ground?

He suddenly hit something soft and cold with his hand, and wondered what it was. And it was only when he heard the softest of breathing that he understood and called out, a glimmer of relief in his voice. But relief soon gave way to worry, as Reno refused to answer. Reno always answered when Rude called, even if he was sleeping...It was that special link they had.

- Reno! Reno, wake up! For Shiva's sake, wake up!

There was still no answer from the silent shape, and Rude reached out as far as he could, caught hold of something and pulled towards him. With a slithering sound, Reno slid across the floor and into Rude's grasp, still deathly still, his open shirt revealing pale, cold skin.

Rude cursed himself as he tried to rub a bit of warmth into the redhead's body; why hadn't he forced Reno to put his jacket back on? They both knew the dangers of hypothermia, and even the Mako treatment the Turks received wouldn't do much good past a certain stage.

- I said wake up Reno! Get it together buddy!

The slight body in Rude's arms started to shiver, and a pair of green eyes slowly opened, still bleary and vague.

- Ren...are you ok? Say something!

A flicker of light in emerald pools, then a slow grin.

- Somethin'...

Rude smiled in utter relief; if Reno could be stupid as soon as he opened his eyes, then he was going to be fine. He just had to get warmer, or else he would fall asleep again. He reached out to grab the jacket under his head, but changed his mind and drew Reno closer to him, cradling him in his arms.

- Rude, man, I'm glad t'see you too, but couldn't this wait until we get out of here? teased Reno through chattering teeth.

- Shut up...

ooOOoo

The snow had started to fall again, and Rude turned his attention to the small body curled in his arms.

- You ok, Ren? Reno?

- Wha?  
- Dammit Reno! Don't go back to sleep! Talk to me!

- Can't...think.

- Doesn't make a change for you, does it?

But Rude's attempt at humour gave out; Reno was getting colder and Rude didn't know how long he would stay awake this time. - Just talk to me, anything...

- W'ya' wan' me t'say?

- I don't know... Tell me...tell me how you go your scars.

- Mm...?

- You never told me how you got your scars, tell me about them.

- N'much t'say.

- I don't care, tell me about them. You've got to stay awake Reno...or you'll die.

The blunt sentence opened Reno's eyes, and he curled up a little more into Rude's arms, feeling warm hands around him.

- It's a real short story man...happened years back, before I even thought of workin' for ShinRa. I was just this cocky, arrogant, loud-mouthed brat, who thought that everythin' was his to command.

- Weirdly enough, you haven't changed that much buddy..., grinned Rude, relieved to hear Reno's voice.

Reno's smile was heard as he replied.

- Hell no! But now, I _can_ be a cocky arrogant, loud-mouthed brat! And besides, you love me like that!

Rude didn't answer but just squeezed the little redhead tighter, taking care not to bruise those fragile ribs. Reno was a deal stronger than he looked, but broken bones stayed broken.

The redhead snuggled deeper into the other man's chest, and Rude winced slightly as something cracked inside.

- Like I said, not much of a story really... I'd wandered into Nibelheim, looking for somethin' to do, I was only what...14 at the time? 14, 15...can't really remember. And anyway, here I go, without a care in the world, into this bar and ask if they had a job goin'.

-Reno the barkey...what a picture.

- As I was this cocky, arrogant, loud-mouthed brat, I didn't really ask...more ordered. And as I was this cocky, arrogant, loud-mouthed brat, I didn't want to take no for an answer, and ended up challenging everyone there.

Rude suddely had a vivid mental image of a young teenager with messy blood-red hair, a cocky grin, clothes three sizes too big and green eyes flashing defiently round him, standing his ground against Nibelheim's tougher low-life. He chuckled at the image and was echoed by Reno's sleepy voice.

- Looks like you got the picture...this stupid kid without a muscle to his name, offerin' to punch any of the drinkers all the way to Wutai.

- You really said that? Rude's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

- Hell yeah! Who were they t'say no to me, the great Reno Tarshil?

- I've said this a lot, but you're completely suicidal Ren.

- Yeah? Y'think I'm suicidal now? Y'should've seen me back then! Man...

- So then what happened?

- What d'ya' think? Just after I'd said that, I get this tap on the shoulder, and there's the biggest, and I mean biggest guy I'd ever seen... 'Course by now I'm havin' second thoughts about this great idea o' mine, but I can't just back down now, can I?

- Bad for your reputation, definately..., grinned Rude.

- What reputation? But yeah, can't just walk away, bye guys, been a pleasure, sorry 'bout my big mouth... So I'm standin' there with this mountain lookin' straight at me, and I say, would he like me t'give him a one-way ticket to Juno. And he says yeah sure, he'd love to see me try.

Rude felt Reno shake in his arms, and thought for a second that his redheaded friend was crying. He was about to ask Reno to stop, when he suddenly realised that those weren't sobs he was hearing, but supressed laughs. Reno was laughing as hard as he possibly could.

- You didn't think that I was that much a fuckin' dolt, did ya'?

- I can't say I didn't suspect it... So what happened?

Reno sat up, still in Rude's arms, and leaned against the stocky Turk's shoulder, his breath coming out in whisps of smoke as he spoke.

- What do you think happened? Got my ass whipped, didn't I? I swear to ya' man, I never saw the floor so much in my whole life! Thought I was pretty good as street-fightin' went, but that didn't stop him from beaing my face in proper... So here I am, lying on the floor, spittin' blood by the lungful and hopin' I'll pass out, and the guy kneels by my face with this _fucking_ twisted grin on his face...

In the vague orange glow of the streetlights piercing the early morning gloom, Rude could see Reno's eyes, slitted pools of emerald as he remembered. Reno stayed quiet for a while, before reaching into his trouser pocket and retrieving a crushed cigarette, lighting it with all the ease of the long-term smoker before speaking again.

- So this guy kneels next t'me and takes out this knife from his pocket, tellin' me that this is my punishment for actin' like a man when I'm just a dog, and cuts me. He cuts real deep and it feels like I'm goin' t'scream, it hurts so fucking much, but I don't say a thing, don't even let one fucking tear fall. And when it's over, they throw me out into the street. How's that for an endin'?

- Real sweet buddy, perfect bedtime story.

But Rude had heard the venom and the deep-lying grudge in his partner's voice, and he could guess that the story didn't end there.

- Say, what time d'ya' reckon it is? asked the redhead, suddenly changing the subject.

- I left my watch in my trouser pocket. The rescue-teams will be here for 6 am, knowing Rufus...and judging by the light, it's about 3 am. Think you can survive another three hours, Ren?

- If you pretend you're a pillow, I could almost believe I'm back at ShinRa...when the heat's off, o' course.

Rude shook his head and grinned as Reno snuggled back into his arms; then he just closed his eyes, his head resting half on Reno's jacket, half on Reno's arm.

* * *

TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 up and running!! Enjoy!

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Elena woke up with a start, her eyes wide open in the darkness, and switched the light on. Someting was missing, something was wrong...what was it? She glanced around before noticing that the something missing was Tseng. He'd probably gone off back to his room, she thought, yawning.

Sleeping all night on a couch wasn't the best idea, she refleted, rubbing her back. She looked at the clock on the wall : half-past three... Just two and a half more hours and they had to report to the main gates. Elena pushed the cover off her, and stood up, her back creaking. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep any longer, and debated either to get a beer and finish the tart or to make some coffee.

Coffee sounded good, and Shiva knew how much Reno and Rude were going to want some when they got back... She walked over to the coffee machine and switched it on, wincing at the noise it made as it flared into life. They had the most advanced technology at their disposal, being part of ShinRa, and they got stuck with the noisiest coffee machine in Midgard.

She ignored the noise fit for a plane and poured herself a cup, yawning slightly as sleep left her.

- Still the noisiest machine ever invented, isn' it? came a voice from the doorway.

Elena turned, and saw Rufus standing in the corridor, still and as ever in his impeccable cream suit, and with only just the slightest tinge of fatigue around the eyes. The blonde Turk silently nodded, and handed him a cup of fresh coffee.

- Haven't you had any sleep Elena?

- With all respect sir, I was about to ask you the same question.

- What? Do I look that tired?

- You have rather large circles under your eyes, sir.

- They match those I saw on Tseng just a few minutes ago. He looks like a real zombie...maybe you should go and give him a cup as well... You'll find him in my office, looking over some files on Bradford that were sent from his building just before the explosion.

Perhaps you could also tell him that he'll need more than 25 minutes' sleep if he expects to be fully functional tomorrow.

- Yes sir, and thank you sir.

Elena walked down the corridor, feeling rather stupid at how she might look : a Turk in a orange dressing-gown and a cup of steaming coffee, walking down the hallway towards Rufus ShinRa's office, yawning at every step. Then again, no-one would be around to see her like this, all the other ShinRa employees were fast asleep or working somewhere else.

She opened the door to Rufus' office, and was greeted by the sight of Tseng fast asleep on the desk, the computer whirring silently and files opened all over the desk. Elena smiled, closed the door behind her and walked back to the lounge. And stopped short. Rufus ShinRa, president of the company that ruled the world, was sprawled on the couch with his mouth open and was snoring gently.

Elena smiled quietly and curled up in an armchair, put the coffee cup on the table, and closed her eyes. Two hours more sleep couldn't hurt.

The young security employee was finishing his rounds, ending on the private floors of the ShinRa family. He passed rapidly around, after all, it was common knowledge that the Turks weren't the kind of people to let a security breach go unchecked.

Suddely he did a double-take and walked quickly back to the lift; he had seen in one minute what most people would never see in their lives. Tseng crashed out like a zombie in Rufus ShinRa's office, dressed in only a dressing-gown, and then Rufus himself sprawled on the Turks' couch with Elena sleeping in an armchair just opposite, parts of her covered in...nothing.

The young employee could only regret that he hadn't had a camera on him, but the thought of what the Turks (and Rufus ShinRa himself) would do if they even saw him gaping at them was enough to make him almost run away. Besides, he had just about enough images of weirdness running around in his mind to keep him awake all night...

ooOOoo

Rude woke up suddenly, a cramping pain exploding in his chest, and he would have fallen on the floor if he wasn't already lying on it. He tried to move position slightly without waking the snoring redhead propped up against his shoulder, but couldn't. The cold, the stress,...the fact that he hadn't eaten in ten hours...all that was overpowering his system. It was so stupid.

The situation was far from postive, even if help was on the way. He had both legs broken and trapped under a block of concrete, and something was seriously wrong with something inside. And as for Reno, he was hardly the picture of health either.

Daylight was starting to tint the sky, and the bald Turk started to breathe more easily. He was hardly the jittery type, but this situation was really starting to knock him. Claustrophobia was something that he had never told anyone about, only Reno knew about it but had understandably forgotten about it. Oh, and add concussion to their already long and impressive list of problems.

- Fuck it's cold...heat's off again, right? mumbled Reno, opening an eye.

- Wait just a bit longer, the rescue teams will soon get here.

- And with 'em, the usual questions from Rufus, the reports in triplicate from Tseng and all the rest o' that fuckin' shit.

- We'll get the hospital treatment first buddy...a few weeks in a warm, soft bed with nothing to do except eat oranges and watch the snow fall.

- Gettin' sentimental with old age, are ya' buddy? Yo! Is my hand s'posed to be this wonderful shade of purple?

- It's called infection pal. They'll have to cut if off.

- Fuck that! No-one's cuttin' anythin' off me! laughed Reno, staggering to his feet and to the window.

Rude just looked at his partner as he sun came up and made like a halo of fire around his already flaming head. In the early morning light, he looked like some sort of mirage, with that flame-coloured hair and his eyes like emeralds... Rude chuckled. Maybe he was getting sentimental...but he couldn't help but tell himself that Reno was the most beautiful person he had ever seen... Why the hell did he had to wait for the most incongruous moments to tell himself those things?

Couldn't he, for once in their relationship, have these thoughts at a more normal time, such as during the times they were out cruising for no reason, or when he was in bed, with Reno's head resting on his chest? No, he had these thoughts at perfectly inane moments, like when a whole building had fallen apart around them, or at an earlier time, when the sight of Reno stuffing his face full of pizza had been enough fill his head with weird lurid thoughts. It was insane.

- Yo buddy! You zonin?

Reno's voice cut in through his daydreaming, and Rude looked up to see his redheaded friend squatting right in front of him, looking a little white.

- You shouldn't be moving around Reno, that'll only make it worse.

- Oh shut up.

And instead of just grinning at his partner's falsely hurt tone, Rude merely reached up and pulled on Reno's ponytail, yanking hard enough for the redhead to find himself inches from Rude's face. A raised eyebrow greeted Reno's almost surprised face, and before he even had time to begin to think, Rude was pressing his lips against his own...

Reno closed his eyes and concentrated on the soft, sweet taste on hs lips and on his tongue, not caring about the cold, not caring about the pain in his ribs, not caring that he was on his hands and knees on the hard foor in the most undignified position. He couldn't care less...all he cared about right now was Rude's lips on his and Rude's hands in his hair. It was funny really; they never seemed to be able to have normal thoughts at normal times. Rude came onto him at the most insane times, but that was the interesting thing about their relationship. It just kept things from...being...boring...

Reno suddenly uttered a heated curse, and sat back on his heels, rubbing his side and glaring at the piece of metal that had stuck itself in his already broken ribs.

- Fuck! What a way to bring ya' back to reality! Worse 'n a phone-call from Tseng.

- Have we already had the pleasure? inquired Rude.

- Last month, as I recall... Sweet Shiva, I'd almost be happy t'see Tseng's face right now.

Reno sat down next to Rude's stocky form, and lit yet another cigarette. He closed his eyes and grinned lazily as the early morning sunlight began to rise over the dirty streets of Midgard; sunrise, cigarette, Rude breathing next to him, broken bones and an unwhelming urge to drink the city dry...just another typical day for the Turks.

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Keep posted, more's to come! XD 


	6. Chapter 6

What are you waiting for? Go read!! XD

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Elena opened her eyes, feeling a hand shake her awake. Rufus had disappeared and Tseng was standing in front of her, impeccably dressed and with Elena's clothes in his arms. A quick glance at the clock and Elena was out of her dressing gown and back in business-like blue, rubbing her eyes as she walked down the corridors towards the main gates.

Both Turks were greeted by a serious-looking truck-load of secuity personel in the background. Without a word, the two took place in the front of the truck and with a loud rumble, they headed for the east of Midgard; all weariness had now left Elena's body as she stared straight ahead towards the buildings. She was going to find them alive, there was no doubt allowed in her mind about that. As Tseng had said, they would rather die than be killed in such a stupid way.

She almost laughed out loud as she imagined two little ghost-like figures flying around Midgard...a small red-headed angel yelling obscenities at everyone, totally dead-drunk, with a bald angel trailing behind, hitting him on the head every so often to shut him up... It was stupid.

- Elena? Are you alright? asked Tseng, without taking his eyes off the road.

- What? Oh...yes, I'm fine. I was just...thinking of something stupid.

- I thought so, you were shaking...anything I should know about?

Elena bit her lip and couldn't help recounting her weird little daydream. Tseng didn't answer, but the way he smiled made Elena suppress another laugh. Oh yeah, they knew their teammates...

The truck finally arrived at the site of the accident, and the Turks were relieved to see that no-one had arrived yet; there was no worse bother to their job to have onlookers, and usually Rude would go and explain to them that they were a bother. And if that wasn't enough, Reno usually lent a hand and a few punches.

The truck finally stopped and the security personel leaped out of the vehicule and started to gather their equipment as Tseng and Elena walked over to the building itself.

- They were in the left wing when the bomb exploded. Therefore we must concentrate our search in that direction. Take no risks and report back as soon as the area is secured..., started Tseng, taking charge of the search party.

The first group acknowledged and headed out towards the building, as Elena took charge of directing the rest of the team around the site to avoid curious onlookers. She had no intention of letting people interfere with her mission, this time less than ever. Every minute spent trying to move people away was a minute lost...

As soon as the team was away, she also began to prepare a hasty medi-kit, trying to guess what medical needs Reno and Rude would most have. She supposed that after having a whole building fall on them, they would need more than a simple bandage... Splints and aspirn seemed a more likely solution, especially since Reno had the unnerving capacity to break things...namely himself.

- Guess I'd better take all there is then... she sighed, and made her way towards the building.

ooOOoo

The two Turks followed the security personnel through the rubble on the first floors of the once-tall buuilding. Elena had the overwhelming urge to run straight in and just scream for the missing Turks, but years of training stopped that urge, as well as the certainty that one wrong vibration would cause an even greater collapse.

They walked on and on, into the heart of the collapsed building, looking for any signs of their missing collegues, trying not to stumble on the various bits and pieces on the floor; the explosion had destroyed most of the stairs, and they had to hoist themselves as they could on the superior floors. Reachng the last floor, Elena was relieved to see that there was no trace of other people having been caught in the blast. Two idiots to save was more than enough, especially at half-past six in the morning.

-Give me your hand and be careful as you come up. There seems to be a lot more debris on this floor.

Obediently scanning the area as she took Tseng's hand, Elena gave a small cry and pointed to a corner. A dented and shattered pair of shades were lying on the ground, covered in dust. Tseng picked them up and dusted them off, looking around for any other trace of his missing collegues. Lying here and there were bits of metal, shards of glass and concrete fragments. And a highly-recognisable electro-mag rod.

- Tseng-san...they must be around here somewhere...

Tseng nodded and set about directing the security agents; left on her own, Elena began to shine her torch into the dark spaces, hoping to find them quickly. Suddenly, she almost tripped and fell down the wide gaping hole that loomed in front of her, and her torch fell into the abyss beneath.

And then she was sure where they were.

-Tseng-san! This way...they must've fallen down here.

- Be careful Elena, we don't have enough first-aid kits for three people.

The blonde Turk heard the smile in her partner's voice, and grinned as she slowly lowered herself into the hole, Tseng and the agents following close behind. She had to strain her eyes to see anything and was glad for the light Tseng shone ahead of her as the mornng light was still to grey and feeble to allow her to see; but even the torchlight wasn't enough to stop them from hitting or bumping into various objects on their way between the floors.

And then that's when Tseng noticed the concrete walls start to cave in.

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TBC... Read and spread the Turk love!! 


	7. Chapter 7

Hey hey hey! Next chapter up! And after that, last one! Enjoy people!!

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Rude opened his eyes suddenly as a loud noise erupted around him, but closed them again as his mind was engulfed in a pulsating red light of pain. Right, he thought, try again. Slower this time... He reopened his eyes, noting that the daylight was brighter than last time he had been awake, and looked around him for whatever had woken him up. The snow was still falling, the sun was still glinting off the dirty metal buildings, Reno was still breathing deeply on his shoulder...

What could have made that noise? A horrible thought hit him : what if the building was crumbling? It wouldn't be surprising, seen the force of the explosion...but what would they do then? He was trapped under a few hundred kilos of concrete ceiling, and Reno was probably still in hypothermic shock.

Suddenly the little redhead stirred and flashed him a grin. Rude tried to ignore the very tired look on his lover's face, and grinned back, thinking again how beautiful Reno, his Reno was.

- Those noises anythin' important? yawned Reno.

- Nothing to worry about Ren, the morning heat must be expanding the plastic in the building.

Reno just raised an eyebrow at his partner's answer.

- D'ya' think I'm stupid? I can recognise the noise of crumblin' buildings as well as anyone, yo... After all, we've blown a few up, right?

As if to punctuate his sentence, another loud crashing sound echoed through the dark, and Reno's green eyes met Rude's dark ones.

-Rufus had better move his freakin' arse and get us outta here.

- My thoughts exactly...guess we'll just have to wait a little longer.

And that's when Tseng and Elena stumbled (quite litterally) on Rude and Reno, snuggled in each-other's arms, sleeping deeply in the middle of a pile of dust and debris.

ooOOoo

_The darkness seemed unending, stretching for an eternity around him, pinpoints of white light floating and cartwheeling around everywhere he looked. In this endless obscurity he looked around for someting...something he couldn't quite remember what it was, but he wanted it... It had been with him for as long as he could remember, and without it, he was lost... But what was it he wanted, needed, so much?_

_A bright light almost blinded him, and he could hear strange noises from far away. What was happening? And where was that thing he needed so much? He moved frantically around in the ocean of ink, looking as far as he could... Where was that precious things? Why wasn't it here with him?_

Reno opened his eyes suddenly. All he could see was a bright whiteness and he closed his eyes suddenly as he felt tears of pain well up. He could feel the bed he was lying on, could hear annoying blips all around him, and could smell the sickly-sweet scent of disinfectant. Why, in the name of Shiva, did disinfectant have to smell so fucking awful?? It was an unwritten law of humanity : pine-scented disinfectant makes you want to puke.

He opened his eyes again, slowly this time, and could see the bleak white walls, the bleak greyish floor and the "lovely" bright yellow curtains. Oh fuck...the ShinRa hospital. When was the last time he'd seen this ugly example of human tastelessness? Sure, he didn't have an over-developed esthetic sense, but come on! A few days in such a depressing place and the first thing anyone would want to do on coming out was to hurl himself out of the nearest window.

- Depressing as hell, isn't it? came a voice from nearby.

Reno turned his head and saw Rude in a nearby bed, bandaged from head to toe, and it wasn't just a figure of speech. A large white bandage covered his head, bandages covered his chest and both his legs were encased in plaster.

- Lookin' good there, Rude my man! Ya' couldn't even tell you've just had a whole buildin' fall on ya' face! grinned the redhead.

- Think you look better, do you? You look the picture of health!

- At least I look cute when I'm ill!

- You haven't seen yourself, have you? "Cute" isn't the word I'd use...

- Hey!

- It's true...you look worse than last time, when you came in to get that bullet out of your.

-SHUT UP!

At that moment, the door opened timidly and Elena walked in, with Tseng following behind.

- Glad to see you're both in perfect health..., sighed the raven-haired Turk leader.

- Never better, never better, yo..., grinned Reno, attempting to sit up but only succeeding in trying to push himself up wih his broken hand.

Elena hid a mad smile at the sight of the redhead shouting heated curses while holding his hand, and just placed a basket of oranges on Rude's bed.

- What's the update on our mission? inquired Rude, used to ignoring his partner's rants, and helping himself to an orange.

- We've recovered the data from Bradford's computer files that Reno sent before the explosion, and Bradford has been taken care of. In essence, the mission was a complete success. Oh, and on a side-note...glad you're both still with us, finished Tseng with a slight smile.

- As if we were going to snuff it so easily! We're invincible boss!

- Yes, well the invincible are going to stay here for six weeks until all their bones are nicely repaired. And there's going to be a guard outside the window, to stop any escape attempt..., grinned Elena.

- Get well soon, we're counting on your support as soon as possible. Oh, and Rufus-san sends his regards and thanks you for a job well done.

- Our pleasure, grinned Reno, as the other two Turks closed the door behind them.

ooOOoo

The snow was falling over Midgard, and the sun was once again disappearing over the horizon of metal and glass. The nurses had come, done all their strange tests (what was the point of intubating you if you could still eat by yourself??), had cooed and babied them, as all nurses seem to do with any patient (seeing a teenaged nurse talking to Rude as if he was three years old had made Reno almost throw up in laughter), and had left, leaving the two Turks by themselves, in their "beautiful" hospital bedroom, lit only by a nightlight.

All that remained of Elena's present were the peelings in the plastic bin, and two stomachs growling, complaining that they hadn't eaten enough. As Reno liked to complain, they'd been sleeping for two days, after having been exposed for over twelve hours to cold and blood-loss, not to mention various injuries, and all they had been authorised to eat was an almost transparent soup, some sort of indescriptable stew-y thing, and a glass of water. Hospital food was just as horrible as it always had been...how were they supposed to get better in six weeks eating that?

The noise of Rude coughing made Reno turn his head.

- Hey buddy! How's the head?

- Awful...and it's even worse now I've woken up.

- Why's that, yo?

- Because I know that it's not a dream, and that I really am in the middle of the ShinRa hospital, with six weeks stretching far far ahead of me, with nothing to do in those weeks than survive the food, the nurses and my room-mate.

- Hey!

- Only joking...

-You're the one who said we'd have oranges and snow for six weeks...feelin' different now?

- I've got this overwhelming urge to run out very quickly...if that nurse comes back and goes gaga on me again, I'm going to go insane...

Reno laughed and flipped his hair back (remembering to use his left hand this time) and lay back on the pillow, and when he spoke again his voice was almost serious.

- We're still alive buddy.

- Only the good die young...? replied Rude.

- Very funny...

* * *

Hope you liked the chapter! And remember, reviews make me very happy! XD


	8. Chapter 8

Yay! Last chapter! A last episode, full of fluff, but hey...bear with me...XD

* * *

Night fell quickly over the city and soon the hospital was engulfed in silence, apart from the small beeps and squeaks of various medical equipment that drove the Turks almost insane. The nurses came and went outside the hospital rooms, a few doors were opened and closed, but in all, it was a regular quiet night.

In his hospital bed Reno couldn't sleep. He'd been trying to sleep for hours, and all he'd managed to do was turn over countless times and hit various parts of himself that hurt. He'd discovered a growing number of bruises, apart from the rips, tears and plastered bits, and was looking aimlessly at the blank wall wondering when he'd just fall asleep.

Strangely enough, he had the nagging feeling that he'd fall asleep ten minutes before they woke you up to give you your 6am pill/injection or whatever else they thought you needed.

- Can't sleep? came Rude's voice from the darkness.

- I've slept enough for the next ten years t'come, not to mention that I hurt too much t'even think 'bout sleepin'...not to mention that I'm starvin'.

- I'll call Elena tomorrow and see if she can't send us more food.

-The nurses'll go nuclear if they see it... When you're in hospital, you're not s'posed to be hungry or tired.

- You love hospitals, don't you?

- Firs' time I saw one was after...that guy... I ended up in a dingy Nibelheim hospital for two weeks and almost died of sceptecimia. So I'm jus' gonna lie here and wait for mornin', yo...

The redhead sighed and looked aimlessly at the ceiling for a change, noticing the cracks in the paintwork. Hooray for ShinRa financing.

A few minutes passed before Rude spoke up again, disturbing the silence that had fallen.

- Reno? What happened to, you know, that guy? The one in Nibelheim?

- Why d'ya wanna know? It's in the past now.

- Just that I know you enough to know that you didn't tell me everything back there. And I admit to being curious.

Reno turned over and flashed the bald Turk a disturbing grin.

- After I got out o' the hospital, sportin' my broken arm and my cracked ribs, I started trainin'. And one day I went back t'the bar and trailed him home.

Reno looked back up at the ceiling and finished in a strange voice.

- I bought an iron bar down on his face at least ten times and then I stole his cash and his clothes. He was found dead three weeks later, in the same position I'd left him in, and I was thinkin' about joining' ShinRa. So...how's that for an endin?

- Perfect bedtime story buddy... Going to tell me one every night for six weeks?

Reno flashed Rude another one of his grins, another one of those devil-may-care grins that Rude loved so much, before leaning in close and whispering.

- I've got a much better idea...

OWARI

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Thanks for reading people! Ja na! 


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